I really hate the wording of this headline; the key point is that Rwandans crossed the border and occupied Congolese farm land after the Rwandan-backed M23 pushed them out. It’s a really egregious example of Rwanda’s desires for the region.
> Returning to land they fled during a violent advance by M23 rebels, some farmers in eastern Congo have had an unwelcome surprise: Their fields of cauliflower and cabbage have been taken over by newcomers, including Rwandans.
> (…) Rwanda and Congo signed a peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration in June. Peace talks between Congo and M23 in Doha were expected to produce a deal last month but have been delayed.
> The problem of land disputes became so widespread – with hundreds of cases documented, according to unpublished U.N. data seen by Reuters – that M23 created an “arbitration centre” to resolve them, a senior rebel official said.
> (…) Elsewhere in Kibumba, Rwandan newcomer Mukumunana Penina said she knew she was farming land that belonged to a Congolese farmer who fled. She told Reuters she came to the land without M23 encouragement.
> “This field belongs to a Congolese citizen. I don’t even know his name. I occupied it by planting potatoes there. I’m Rwandan, I only occupied this field to survive,” she said.
> (…) Occupation by Rwandans is a charged topic. A report by U.N. experts published in July said Rwanda had exercised command and control over M23 and Kigali was focused partly on “conquering additional territories” in the region.
!ping AFRICA
teethgrindingaches on
> Though he appealed to M23-appointed local officials, Burunga had to wait four months to get his land back, so the new arrivals could harvest what they had planted. He retook possession of the land in August.
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I really hate the wording of this headline; the key point is that Rwandans crossed the border and occupied Congolese farm land after the Rwandan-backed M23 pushed them out. It’s a really egregious example of Rwanda’s desires for the region.
> Returning to land they fled during a violent advance by M23 rebels, some farmers in eastern Congo have had an unwelcome surprise: Their fields of cauliflower and cabbage have been taken over by newcomers, including Rwandans.
> (…) Rwanda and Congo signed a peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration in June. Peace talks between Congo and M23 in Doha were expected to produce a deal last month but have been delayed.
> The problem of land disputes became so widespread – with hundreds of cases documented, according to unpublished U.N. data seen by Reuters – that M23 created an “arbitration centre” to resolve them, a senior rebel official said.
> (…) Elsewhere in Kibumba, Rwandan newcomer Mukumunana Penina said she knew she was farming land that belonged to a Congolese farmer who fled. She told Reuters she came to the land without M23 encouragement.
> “This field belongs to a Congolese citizen. I don’t even know his name. I occupied it by planting potatoes there. I’m Rwandan, I only occupied this field to survive,” she said.
> (…) Occupation by Rwandans is a charged topic. A report by U.N. experts published in July said Rwanda had exercised command and control over M23 and Kigali was focused partly on “conquering additional territories” in the region.
!ping AFRICA
> Though he appealed to M23-appointed local officials, Burunga had to wait four months to get his land back, so the new arrivals could harvest what they had planted. He retook possession of the land in August.
That’s….a better outcome than I expected?